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Pumpkin Chicken Chili [Giveaway]

Today I’m giving away a gorgeous KitchenAid 4 Quart Cast Iron Pot PLUS I’m sharing an easy (and healthy!) recipe for Pumpkin Chicken Chili.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Pumpkin Chicken Chili

Let’s start with the chili. Freshly ground chicken thighs, skin and all, are sautéed with onions, bell pepper and garlic until fragrant and brown. Flavor and body are added by way of chile powder, red pepper flake, cumin, pumpkin beer, pumpkin purée, red beans and fire-roasted tomatoes. The chili is finished with a dollop of rich sour cream, cilantro, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Made in just one pot, this comforting fall soup comes together in under an hour!  Rich, bold flavors.  Hearty, satisfying texture.  So.  Yum.  Continue reading for the recipe, and giveaway details.

KitchenAid Cast Iron Pot

I mentioned above that this chili comes together in just one pot. The one used here is a KitchenAid 4 Quart Cast Iron Pot. When I make soups and stews, I loooove using cast iron cookware, because the thick metal holds heat well, and helps with even cooking.  Rarely do I have to scrape off burnt, stuck-on bits from the bottom of a cast iron pot.  This cast iron pot by KitchenAid is particularly nice, because the lid doesn’t have a plastic knob, a part that can cause issues when placed in the oven.  Also, the underside of the lid has ridges, and can be used a small stove top grill pan!!  So cool!  KitchenAid graciously provided me with two of these 4 Quart Cast Iron Pots ($229.99 value). One to test, and one to give away!  (Giveaway has ended)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ok back to the chili.  Let’s talk about the pumpkin components.  I want to stress that this isn’t a Pumpkin Spice Chili.  There are spices in this recipe (chile powder, red chile flake, pepper); however, no pumpkin pie spice.  Pumpkin purée gives this chili some nice body with earthy undertones.  Pumpkin beer adds depth of flavor and aroma.  Made with organic pumpkin (30 pumpkins per barrel!), the Twisted Manzanita Witch’s Hair Pumpkin Ale that I used here is rich with notes of spice, vanilla and molasses.  As the chili cooks (for just 30 minutes!), some of the beer will burn off, leaving behind all those wonderful flavors.  Seriously, you need to give this chili a try.  It’s so damn good.

PS. A big thanks to the ever-amazing Sous Chef Pryor for giving me such a beautiful bottle of pumpkin beer.

Chili Ingredients

Pumpkin Chicken Chili

Pumpkin Chicken Chili

by Brandon Matzek
4.85 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken*
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, with their liquid
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin purée
  • 12 ounces pumpkin beer (or any other beer you have on hand)
  • 1 tablespoon ground ancho chile**
  • 1 tablespoon ground New Mexico chile**
  • 1 pinch red chile flakes (the size of the pinch will depend on how spicy you like your chile)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (preferably freshly ground)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Sour cream, for serving (Greek yogurt or creme fraiche would work well here too)
  • Chopped cilantro, for serving
  • Sliced scallion, for serving
  • Roasted, salted pepitas, for serving
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Warm oil in a large cast iron pot (I used my 4 Quart KitchenAid Cast Iron Pot) over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are tender but not brown (5 - 7 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the ground chicken, and cook until browned all over. I like to get all the meat in the pan, stir to combine, and then let sit for a few minutes to really get some brown color. If you continuously move the meat around, no caramelization will occur. You won't get that much dark brown color here, but even just a little bit will help with flavor.
  • Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, pumpkin puree, pumpkin beer, chile powders, cumin, kidney beans, salt and several turns of black pepper, sitting to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing burns on the bottom. Stir in red wine vinegar, then taste for seasoning. Add more kosher salt, black pepper and red wine vinegar to taste. Flavors should be big and bold, but don't overdo the vinegar, because the soup is served with lime wedges (which will add more acid).
  • To serve, ladle the chili into a soup bowl, and top with sour cream, chopped cilantro and pepitas. Provide lime wedges for squeezing.

Notes

* I made my own ground chicken here using 4 chicken thighs (with skin) and a food processor. It's very easy to do! Here's a simple tutorial. Ground chicken usually comes in 1 pound - 1.25 pound packages at the grocery store. If that's all you can find, just use that here. Ground turkey or beef would work well too.
** When making chili, I love using a mixture of chile powders to add depth of flavor. If you don't have access to these types of chile powders (or they are super expensive), you could definitely use the spice labeled "Chili Powder." Just keep in mind that chili powders usually have other things mixed in like garlic and oregano, so the end result might taste a little different.
Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

Pumpkin Chicken Chili Pot

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brett says

    5 stars
    This looks/sounds amazing! I’ve been following your blog for a while now and I’m lucky to have such creative food bloggers in my neighborhood! 🙂

    Reply

  15. Meghan says

    I love to make a kale, sausage, tomato, and onion stew that is served over mashed potatoes or a chicken, kale, and red lentil soup with carrots and onions.

    Reply

  16. Tierney says

    My favorite soup for cold weather has to be traditional wild rice with ham, from the famous Byerly’s grocery. Delicious!

    Reply

  17. Jennifer says

    I literally was just thinking about how to make a pumpkin chili with all this organic canned pumpkin that I recently stocked up on and here you go and post a recipe, thanks! Lol

    Reply

  18. Lisa @ Whisk & Cleaver says

    My favorite “cold weather” (using that term loosely this week!) is a potato and sausage soup with spinach that is total comfort food in a bowl. This pot is gorgeous! It might make my Staub oven jealous 🙂

    Reply

  21. Kim Henrichs says

    5 stars
    My favorite cold weather soup is homemade chicken and noodle with lots of fresh veggies and homemade noodles.

    Reply

  23. Peter says

    My mom would make a cheese soup in a cooked, hollowed pumpkin in the oven. The squash would then be scrapped a bit into the soup. A big, seasoned, baked crouton would finish it. Wow.

    Reply

  31. Emily says

    Love the chili! Do you think it would freeze well? I am partial to some butternut squash thai curry soup I made this week. So easy and fast!

    Reply

  42. Rachel R says

    Chunky loaded baked potato soup is my fav!! Bacon and cheese oh ma gawd!!! I now know what I’m making this weekend.

    Reply

  55. Heidi C says

    Unfortunately, chili and I don’t get along well. But I would have plenty of other uses for that fabulous cast iron!

    Reply

  69. Diana Cote says

    5 stars
    I love stews and i just make them with whatever is in season or i have in my fridge but i also have a soft stop for white chicken chilli and spicy sauce and lentil soup. i guess those are my favorite. hahaha

    Reply

  73. Ella says

    I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with pumpkin– so many recipes I find end up being so SWEET. This, however, looks really good, and like something I could get my family to try. I’ll definitely be saving it and trying it out sometime this fall 🙂

    Reply

  77. Dolores Adair says

    I love just plain old traditional homemade chicken noodle soup. I probably make it once a week in the winter months to keep warming us up.

    Reply

  81. Raquel Beaty says

    I have always loved Chili. Or navy bean soup like my mom used to make. And hearty beef stew is hard to turn down too.

    Reply

  84. Lynn says

    I really like this chicken chili stew that I found on Taste of Home. it’s also a good way to use up extra chicken meat!

    Reply

  89. Adri says

    Pumpkin Chili sounds like a wonderful idea. Fall has finally arrived in here in southern California, and this will, I am sure, make a marvelous supper. Thanks!

    Reply

  90. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

    I can just smell this chili! I think I’ll need to make a batch of veggie chili or soup this weekend.

    I am a fan of rice and mushroom soup. I’ve been making it since I was a kid and my mom would let me help her make big pots of it.

    Reply

  96. Ani {@afotogirl} says

    I’ve never made chili with chicken or pumpkin. Planning on trying this recipe this week! As for cold weather soups, I gotta say it’s a toss up between my dad’s albondigas and my mother’s posole. 🙂

    Reply

  100. Stacey quick says

    My favorite is a 7 meat sancocho, which is a rich Dominican meat stew filled with pumpkin, plantains, corn, and cornmeal dumplings. I learned to make this for my Dominican husband to remind him of the warmth of his home country in the midst of our snowy winters.

    Reply

  102. diana alexander says

    5 stars
    Wow! what a fabulous recipe to try!! I must say I have been following you on Facebook now for quite some time. I also get your emails, but being on Facebook allows me to share your wisdom and “lusciousness” with so many of my friends!! You are by far my favorite recipe guru with a wonderful wit and imagination! My favorite soup recipe for cold weather is a smoked trout soup that is so easy you could do it with one arm tied behind your back!! Easy and soooo tasty. Let me know if you want the recipe!

    Reply

  108. LeeAnn Pickett says

    I made a really yummy cauliflower soup last fall, but I do always love a creamy tomato or creamy red pepper.

    Reply

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